Today it’s around 35 degrees and tomorrow it will be almost 60 degrees. The next two weeks will generally be around 50 degrees so perhaps spring is finally here for good. I used to live in Northern Virginia and by this time all the cherry trees are blooming, the tulips have come and gone, tree pollen is out with a vengeance. But in Minnesota, the trees are just starting to bud, the lilac bushes are budding, the maple has dropped all sorts of little buds on the driveway (missed the maple tapping season) and tulips are still only leaves. Every year the deer eat the tulips just before they bloom. We’re trying milorganite around the plants to see if that will work.

The pond digger has been busy as usual even in the cold weather. He has built two new quarantine tanks for the incoming koi:

…and as weather permits he has been working in the equipment pit for the upper pond. He has been doing a nice job changing the pipework (remember the 12″ saw that we needed – good results):

That equipment pit will be covered with a deck of some sort and we hope to get that project going in the next few weeks. Our contractor has some ideas on making something that will allow access and give us an elevated view of the pond.

We’ve turned on the waterfall that feeds into the lower pond and it’s nice to hear the sound of water again.

This morning I heard some tapping. A pileated woodpecker was in the yard today pecking at the oaks near the upper pond. Woodpeckers usually like to peck at “rotting/dead wood” – could this be a bad sign????

Meanwhile, the koi in the garage pool are all looking pretty good, staying healthy and eating a little more often. I’m sure they can’t wait to leave the garage as much as I am looking forward to moving them out.

Finally, we have the landscape designer coming out on Wednesday to start work on the pergola/arbor for the lower pond. All of the 4 year old and younger shiro utsuris will be living in this pond and they will need shade. The project will not only shade the pond but will eliminate my view of the equipment pit.